Mouse Sperm Cryopreservation

To encourage cryopreservation of unpublished strains a 2 year embargo is permitted on listing on the APB database and distribution to others. At the completion of the 2 years the embargo will be removed.

The depositor will need to pay for shipping of the mice to the APB node and the caging of the mice until cryopreservation.

Mouse Requirements

5 male mice, 10-16 weeks of age are required. This is considered by the APB to be the optimal age for sperm cryopreservation.

Older mice may be cryopreserved depending upon the onset of reproductive decline. However, please note sperm concentration and quality may decline in older animals.

If poor quality sperm is observed from 2 or more mice, we will request that further mice be submitted for archiving.

All 5 male mice do not need to be supplied at the same time. Multiple deliveries at researcher cost can be accommodated. You will only be charged one cryopreservation fee per strain (5 male donors).

Quality Assurance

A microscope analysis of each sample is included in the cryopreservation service. One straw of sperm is thawed into IVF sperm media and evaluated for their concentration, motility, progressive motility and for the level of gross morphological defects. This evaluation is used in the future for strain reanimation purposes. This analysis does not give an IVF rate and cannot guarantee that the strain can be recovered in the future. We offer an additional QC (fertility test) that can be performed at extra cost. The fertility test will determine the IVF rate of oocytes.

Cryopreserved Sperm Storage

All mice submitted to the APB for cryopreservation receive a unique barcode. Sperm from each male is frozen separately into 11 straws (not pooled).

All samples cryopreserved by the APB are stored in duplicate. 5 straws will be stored at the Monash Facility and 5 straws at the ANU APF Facility in liquid nitrogen secure facility.

Ongoing maintenance costs

For those strains that are not freely distributable depositors will need to pay on going annual storage fee.

Mouse Sperm Cryopreservation and Fertility Test Costs